Pokemon Fossil Version
by cuddlyAmaura
Summary: Nearly two decades after the events in Black and White 2, Unova appears calm and tranquil. Of course, when are things ever as they seem? We follow Olivia Riches on her journey to become a Pokémon trainer and an adult in a world where Pokemon and humans are supposed to live in harmony... and in a world before humans existed.
1. Chapter 1

"Your father and I have been talking."

I could feel the excitement building up in me. Even so, I had to make sure to point out, "He's not my dad."

The thin, black-haired man with round, thick glasses standing beside my mom frowned at me, and then looked at her, still frowning. He had a look like a kicked Lillipup. It made me want to give him a hug. Almost. Not enough to do so. "… Your father—"

"He's not my father," I reaffirmed. Still, I smiled. I would consider hugging the man when my mom announced what I knew she was going to announce. It was a long time coming.

"… Fine," my mom said through an exasperated sigh. She seemed relaxed. I guess he must have accepted what would be from now on. "Randall and I were talking about what you asked us, and we've made a decision."

Yes. Here it comes, my dream come true!

"You're not allowed to be a Pokémon trainer."

"… what."

"You're too young and you shouldn't be wandering around with Pokémon yet. I don't care if all the other ten year olds are doing it. If they were all jumping off a bridge, you wouldn't join them, would you?"

"Well, mom, is there a Pokémon at the bottom waiting for me?"

My mother stared at me. "That's not funny, Olivia."

"What you said isn't funny either! I've been good and doing my chores, and, and…!"

"… chores? What chores? You're not supposed to do chores, we have housekeepers and butlers and maids for that." My mom looked at Randall. He coughed softly.

"Well, Susan, she was delivering papers for me at work and keeping my papers organized." My mother looked ready to let her mouth loose at him. He quickly interjected, "BUT! I said she'd have a better chance of getting her first Pokémon, not that she could go off on a journey to be a trainer, and definitely not that she would be guaranteed her first Pokémon."

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. "But I… I did all that stuff… for my first Pokémon… and you won't even give me that?"

My mother shook her head. "Out of the question."

"Not out of the question! I want to know why!"

"You're too young. You're inexperienced with Pokémon," My mother explained. I'm sure if I glared at her any harder she might actually become paralyzed. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure mothers are resistant to paralysis from their daughters.

"I have no experience with Pokémon because you wouldn't let me have any experience with them. In fact, neither of you would."

"Because you're not ready yet. One day you will be. Maybe when you're an adult. But you're ten years old, and that's too—"

"How old were you when you had your first Pokémon?"

I knew the answer. She knew I knew the answer because she flushed and said, "That's not important, we're talking about you, not me."

Randall opened his mouth to interrupt. My mother and I both turned to him and shouted at him, "YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!" He backed down quickly. We returned to glaring at each other.

"I gave birth to you, I take care of you, I feed you, I give you a roof over your head, I make sure you live a comfortable life, I look out for your well-being, and this is how you repay me? Mouthing off at me?" My mother asked a bit loudly.

"Yes but you never get me the things I actually want!"

"Whose fault is it that you ask for things I can't get you?!"

"Can't? You mean won't! Buying a Pokémon from a breeder is easy for you!"

"Yes, I mean won't, and it's not happening. That's final."

A moment of silence followed my mother's words as they began to weigh down on me. She admitted it. She wouldn't get me a Pokémon. She wouldn't let me become a trainer. That's all I wanted to do, my whole ten years of life, be a Pokémon trainer, and she wouldn't let me.

"I dislike you," I said to my mother, and then to my stepfather, "and I just hate you." With that, I turned and stormed out of the house. As I left, my mother called out to me,

"Arceus, you're just like your birth father, walking away, what a surprise!"

This only propelled me into a run. I wanted to get away from my mom and her husband. I wanted to run away from this terrible place with terrible people. So what my family was well to do. We were living far from where I spent over half of my life and I was far from the sea, and all the Pokémon and scents and foods I had grown knowing and loving. Sure, the airport let us import whatever we wanted, but it wasn't the same. There was something to be said for freshly caught Basculin, baked, or freshly caught Shellder made into clams on the half shell. Or my favorite, Octillery calamari. Not the frozen junk shipped halfway across the region in a package.

No. Not halfway. It was the whole width of Unova.

What if I never saw Wailmer bobbing on the waves again? As much as I thought Wingull were annoying, what if I never go to see a Wingull again? I found myself missing Wingull so much that if one were to appear in front of me at that I might actually kiss it.

This made me run even harder, until I crashed head first into someone.

"Oof," went a voice above me.

Whoever it was, I went to swerve around them and mumbled a quick, "Sorry."

That was until their big hands went on my shoulders, gently weighing me down and keeping me in place. "Where are you going in such a hurry, Liv?"

I looked up at Perry, my face soaked with tears. I had never thought I would ever be so grateful to see him before this moment.


	2. Chapter 2

As it turned out, I had been running in the direction of Randall's Lab. Perry had been heading out from there when he had the bad luck to be in my path. Despite this, he took me back to the lab and sat me down there in one of the rolly chairs he knew I liked.

Perry was a really lanky guy whose skin looked perpetually like that of the surfers who would pass through my hometown. Always in a plaid button down shirt and dark blue jeans. Pretty tall too. He was only six years older than me. Sometimes he was really boring, like when he talked about his research. But other times he was really cool, like when he let me play with his Shieldon, Knight. He came over and handed me a glass of water and some tissues before taking a seat on his chair. "Now… what's wrong?"

"My mom won't let me have a Pokémon and be a Pokémon trainer," I sniffled out, wiping my tears with my sleeve. He frowned, though I wasn't sure if it was because of what I said, or because I used my sleeve even though he gave me tissues.

"Is that everything, or there's more?"

"Randall told me doing chores would let me have a better chance of getting my first Pokémon… and when I left, my mom said I was just like my dad, running away."

Perry grimaced at that last part and got up once more, placing the glass aside he had just handed me to give me a hug. I didn't even know Perry knew what a hug was, and perhaps it was the shock of it that made me cry more, or perhaps it was that it was nice to know he cared. After a few moments, he let me go and handed me my water again. He moved back, got the Pokéball from his belt, and sent out his Shieldon.

Okay, so, I love Knight. I thought Perry was weird, even after the hug, because he only seemed to know how to talk about his research. But his Shieldon was this wonderful little Pokémon that was super friendly and had a tendency to eat Randall's lunch if left unchecked. I got off my chair and knelt down, and Knight rushed over on its stubby legs, feet clanking on the ground. Knight knocked me right onto my butt and rubbed his face against me. _Shiel, Shiel_! His little tail was wagging so much that I didn't realize I had stopped crying until Perry started talking.

"I don't know anything about your dad, but it wasn't right for your mom to say that." He crouched and rubbed Knight's back. "And… it wasn't right for Randall to trick you like that." _Shieldon_? "But I think someday, you will be a great Pokémon trainer. You're a good kid, and you seem to get along with Pokémon. Right Knight?" _Shieldon_!

"Could… you talk to my mom and Randall about it?" I asked meekly, looking up at him. He shook his head, and my shoulders slumped.

"I need to be here for my research. I'd be glad to look out for you, though."

An idea popped into my head. "Can YOU get me a Pokémon, Perry?"

He sat down and made an X with his arms. "No can do. I'm not your mom or your dad or your stepdad or anything. I can't go around them."

"Awwh…" I looked down at Knight, who was laying down. He put his head on my lap. "I really want to be a Trainer." I patted Knight's back, and his legs wiggled in response.

Perry put his hands on his lap, watching me and his Shieldon. "Hey… did I ever tell you how I got Knight?" I shook my head, and he grinned. "Would you like to hear the story?"

"Is it boring?" I asked, looking up at him.

He stuck his tongue and said in response, "Only a little." With a reluctant sigh I gave him a nod.

"So, long time ago, I was a kid myself. Unlike you, though, I went to school. What I wanted to be, what I want to be, requires schooling."

"A Pokémon Professor, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Anyway. My dad and mom weren't the most well-to-do people in Solaceon town, so gifts were always small and kind of sparse. But becoming a Pokémon Professor… well, have you ever heard of a Pokémon Professor without a Pokémon?" I shook my head. "Exactly. So when I graduated school at twelve, my mom and dad took this fossil I had gotten mining with my dad and… well, we visited my grandfather in Oreburgh. And the Mining Museum there, they brought Shieldon to life using the DNA in the fossil I had found and… then there was Knight."

"Wow… Knight came from a fossil?" Perry nodded in response. "Why didn't your family just catch one?"

"Shieldon are extinct. That's why there are fossils of them. There are lots of Pokémon who can be revived via fossils." He reached over and gave Knight a belly rub.

"So cool… I want a fossil Pokémon, too."

"Maybe someday. I'd be glad to teach you about the different ones that we currently know of."

I made a face and stuck out my tongue. "Yuck, learning. I just want a strong one so I can become a great trainer."

"There's more to being a trainer than strong Pokémon, why, even a weak Pokémon can be strong with the right trainer."

"Which fossil Pokémon is the strongest?"

"Hm. Which time period?"

"Huh?"

"Well, the strongest one three hundred million years ago was Kabutops. One hundred million years ago, it was Tyrantrum." Perry responded, looking at Knight. "Shieldon were not the strongest, but existed at the same time as Tyrantrum." Knight peered at Perry. _Shiiieeel_ …. "I wasn't trying to insult you, Knight," Perry laughed.

"So all I have to do is tell Mom I want a fossil and then bring it to Oreburgh. Mom would pay for that." I rubbed my chin in thought. "It's perfect."

"I don't think she'd fall for that… but… there is another way, possibly. But I don't know if Randall would be alright with it."

My eyes glued to him. "I could make him okay with it. What is it?"

"You know the big building next to the lab that you see people go in and out of a lot?"

"Uh-huh."

"Randall's been working on a portal. It's not perfected yet, but, it opens up to the past. You could always, when you're older, get a Pokémon from the past."

"A fossil Pokémon… before it becomes a fossil."

"Precisely."


	3. Chapter 3

I headed home with a new purpose. Well, I was walked home, really, by both Perry and Knight. Once I got to the door, I looked up at Perry. "Thank you for walking me home, I think I have it from here. You'll be seeing a lot more of me!"

"Oh? What plan have you come up with?"

"It's a secret," I smiled and gave Knight a quick rub on the head before heading in. _Shiel_? _Don_?

I found Randall making his lunch in the kitchen. Salad. Why the man ate so much salad, I didn't know. Maybe he had trouble going to the bathroom, my mom often mentioned needing fiber or something. I went to the counter and looked up at him. He looked down at me and blinked. "What do you want, Olivia." His voice was flat. He wasn't wholly dumb, but it would have been too easy then.

"I want to learn at your lab," I said, looking up at him. He paused and looked at me unsurely. I repeated, but slowly to help the poor guy. "I want. To learn. At your lab."

"Why do you want to learn at my lab? I thought you wanted nothing to do with me and you hate me." He sounded hesitant. Not that I could blame him.

"I do… but I heard from Perry that you're doing stuff with Pokémon."

"What stuff? What exactly did he say?" he asked, tensing now.

"That you're making a portal to the past to see fossil Pokémon! What else would I be talking about?" He eased notably when I said this and responded,

"Indeed, what else _would_ you be talking about…"

"So can I?"

"Your mother wouldn't approve."

"Puh-lease," I said with a wave of my hand. "Mom doesn't like anything I do, not the way I dress myself—"

"Well, when I think of fashionistas the few times I've been forced to thanks to your mother, my first thoughts aren't denim jumpers, bright purple shirts with trumpet sleeves, and mismatched multicolor-striped toe socks with flip-flops."

"—Have you looked at yourself? You'd look better if Mom dressed you, but you're happy looking ridiculous, and I'm happy looking good. Mom doesn't like the way I dress, that I want to be a Pokémon Trainer, that I don't like you, so what if she doesn't like it."

Randall looked at me, rubbing his chin in thought. The light hit his glasses in such a way that it obscured his eyes from my view. He grinned. "I'll allow it so long as you agree to give me a chance instead of hating me by default," he countered.

"What. No. Come on. That's not fair," I whined.

"That's it, I'm not budging on it. It's either that or nothing."

"But… but… oh come on you can't be serious."

"I guess it's a no then?" He went to leave to the dining room with his bowl of salad. I grabbed his pant leg and looked down.

"I'll give you a chance," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I said I'd give you a chance!" I practically yelled at him.

My mom came downstairs from being previously glued to the television in her bedroom. Alright, she and Randall's bedroom, but I called it her bedroom, not his. She did own the house after all. "What's going on, what's with the yelling?"

Randall and I shared a glance. "Well, Susan, you see," he began. "I asked her if she'd like to learn at my lab, and she said she'd give me a chance to learn from me and what our family business is all about." My mom looked like she had been smacked with a Magikarp. She stood there, mouth open, looking between us. She looked at me. I nodded my head rapidly. So it wasn't exactly the truth, I asked him and he had requested something in return. Close enough.

My mom burst into tears and hugged us both at the same time. "You're finally getting along! It took years, but you two are finally getting along!" She cried, holding us. I looked at Randall and he looked at me, and we discreetly shook each other's pinkies behind my mother's back. She let us go eventually and wiped her eyes, smiling through her tears. "Oh this is great. This is wonderful… this is… oh no, you CANNOT go to the lab dressed like that, Olivia!"

"My clothing's fine."

"Her clothing's fine." A nasty look from my mom resulted in Randall tacking on, "But she could use a lab coat and some supplies for learning. Laptop, pens, pencils, paper, graph paper, calculator."

"That's right, she'll need things still! Shopping trip! Girls' day out shopping! I should make a list. We could take a plane and… yes, yes! Finally!" She hurried out of the room.

"Mom is strange."

"She's happy. She just wants us to get along."

"She is happy. She is also strange."

"You're strange. Again, look at how you dress."

"You're stranger, you know what trumpet sleeves are." I stuck my tongue out at him. He gave a harrumph in response.

"You try being married to your mother and see how well you can escape fashion knowledge."

"Ew, I don't want to marry my Mom, that's disgusting, you're disgusting."

He smacked his palm to his forehead and shook his head. "Well, your mother should be done getting everything for you this week. So Monday is when you'll start at my lab. You'll be shadowing Mara and learning from her and Perry."

"Where do you think she'll have us go shopping?"

"Us? You mean you two?"

"No way, if I have to go on a shopping trip with her, so do you."

"Unlike you, I am currently employed," he said, crossing his arms. So I grinned a big grin.

"Moooooooooooooooooooooom…"

"Nowhatareyoudoingstop." My mother came in. "Hi again… Susan…"

"What's up?"

"Dad said he really wants to go shopping tomorrow with us and that he would be glad to help out in any way he can." Randall's face was red with anger. I knew it was anger. My mom must have mistook it for embarrassment because she went over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. Yuck.

"It's settled then. We'll all go tomorrow, as a family. Make sure you both get a lot of sleep." My mom headed out of the room after.

"You… little…"

"Genius? You heard Mom. Make sure you get lots of sleep tonight, you'll need it!"


	4. Chapter 4

When my mom said we'd need lots of sleep, she wasn't kidding. The sun hadn't even come up yet and one of the house servants was knocking on the door. "Mademoiselle," Zoe said from behind the door. I knew it was Zoe because of the Kalosian accent and choice of words. "Mademoiselle, Madame says it is time to wake."

I pushed myself to sit up and called just as sleepily as Zoe did to me, "I'm up… I'm up… thanks Zoe…" When I heard Zoe walk away, I got myself up and to my closet. Jumper, check. Purple shirt with bell sleeves that were puffed at the shoulder, check. I set them aside and went to the bathroom to start my day the typical way. Once out, I got changed and got on my socks. A glance to the window told me it really was early. There was still darkness in the sky. Yet somehow, it seemed pretty to me. I didn't have time to marvel at the prettiness of dawn. I had to do my hair.

Of course, when I say do my hair, I mean fight it with a brush and lots of detangler. My hair isn't like my mom's. Mom's hair is straight and thin and pale brown, whereas mine is made of a whole bunch of little waves that have a tendency to tangle and is a dark brown color. The number of times I've heard people whisper that maybe I should get my hair straightened was too great. It was almost as many times as I've heard people suggest my mom isn't my mom because we look so different. Times like this, my mother would remind me that two very different Pokémon could breed and have a baby who is the same species as one Pokémon and not the other; that I just took after my dad with my hair and my skin.

I never doubted that my mom was my mom, though, and that I took after my dad. Whenever she was angry at me, she'd point out how much like him I was. I set my brush down and looked at myself in the mirror. "I'm not like him," I said to my reflection. "I'm not a bad person who would leave Mom behind, who doesn't care about a baby on the way. I'm not a bad person at all."

"You're right, you're not a bad person. You're a good person. A very important good person," my reflection responded.

Wait.

What.

I stumbled backwards and fell onto my back.

"Are you okay?!" my reflection asked.

No, I was not okay, thank you very much. I got up and ran to my door, opened it, and ran to my mom's room, screaming. I only faintly heard the _Elgy_? coming from my room. "MOM MOM MOM MOM MOOOOM!" As soon as the door I hugged her. Except it wasn't her. It was Randall.

"Uh," was all he managed to get out. He looked as tired as me. "Are you okay?" A valid question since even though I realized it was him, I had not yet let go.

"My mirror. Talked to me."

"… your mirror talked to you."

"My reflection. Yes." Tears were streaming down my face.

"Susan," Randall called to my mom. "Olivia needs you."

My mom came over, only half-makeup'd. I detached myself from Randall and attached to her instead. "Mommy, my reflection talked to me."

"Sweetie, you're probably just tired. Let's go to your room and see together, okay?" I gave a meek nod and took her hand. She led me into the room and looked at my mirror. Tapped it a few times. My reflection wasn't moving abnormally, nor was hers. Randall stood in the doorway, shaking his head. "See? Nothing to be scared of. Okay? You're just tired." She leaned down and gave my forehead a kiss. "Now, to go finish my makeup." She left the room past Randall.

"Look," Randall said quietly. "I don't know what you're trying to pull this early in the morning, but given yesterday, I can tell that you're up to something. Don't make today more of a pain than it needs to be, alright?"

"But I wasn't—" He put his hand up to stop me.

"Yes you were. Just stop while you're ahead." He headed out of my room. I looked to my reflection, frowning. I headed out of my room and down to the living room to wait for Randall and my mom, a pout plastered on my face the whole time. I knew what I had seen. One of the maids came over and offered me a handkerchief for my face, which I used to pat my tears away. I handed it back to her.

Once we were all ready to go, we headed off to the airport in the limo. "We're going to Driftveil for the market, right?" I asked. I had heard some of the women at the airport mention going shopping in Driftveil.

"I'm pretty sure that we're going to either Striaton or Aspertia," Randall responded.

"Wrong," my mother said with a grin. "We're going to Route 9."

The color drained from Randall's face. "What's on Route 9?" I asked. I had never been far before. Well, aside from here. The first six years of my life were spent living in Undella Town in my family's villa. Then we moved all the way here, to Mistralton. It was pretty stupid that my mom's family practically owned Mistralton Cargo and we almost never flew anywhere.

"Shopping Mall Nine," my mother responded with a gleeful smile. "The largest shopping center in Unova."

"Any reason we're not going to Shopping Malls one-through-eight?" I asked. My mother stared at me like I had a few extra heads, but Randall laughed.

"There isn't any Shopping Mall One or Two. Just Shopping Mall Nine. The 'Nine' is the route it is on, Route 9," Randall explained.

"Ohhh… I guess that makes sense. Why not call it The Shopping Mall then if it's the only one?"

"It's Shopping Mall Nine. That's it. The end," my mother said through gritted teeth. "And we're going to go there as a happy family and not question the name of it or any other names while we're at it."

"It's a good thing that the other cities have built airports recently, even if just for local flights," Randall mentioned conversationally.

"Yes," my mom agreed. "Granted, the airport here is the only one with planes that can handle visiting other regions, but it is good. Makes getting around SO much easier, and without having to rely on Pokémon. I'm glad that the family business added more planes recently, too." The limo stopped when we were at the airport and we all climbed out. We followed my mom up and into one of the planes.

I stuck my face against one of the windows. Now, I couldn't stand being away from Undella Town, and I missed it dearly… but planes were cool. I rode in one once and only once, but they were awesome. My mom brought me to a seat and sat me down, strapping me in. Once she did, my face was on the window again. She sat next to me, and across the table at our seats was Randall. A voice came over the speaker system.

"Hello, my name is Winslow and I'll be your captain this morning. Sit back, strap yourself in, relax, and enjoy the view. The tower expects little to no turbulence on our way to Opelucid City." The plane started to move, and after a few moments, we were in the air.

I looked out the window and pointed. "Mom, I can see our house! It looks like a little toy!"

"It does, doesn't it?" She said, leaning over and looking along with me. Randall glanced to the window before looking forward once more. Mom noticed and laughed. "That's right, you don't do heights, do you?" He grumbled in response. "But you lived in Castelia. How can you not handle heights living in a city of skyscrapers?"

"The same way I handle the plane ride: I don't look down."

I pointed to a tower I saw as we flew. "Hey, what's that there?"

"I'm not sure. It's a tower of some sort on Route 7," my mom explained. "Randall, what tower is that?"

"If it's the tower on Route 7, it's Celestial Tower."

"Not going to look?" I asked. He peered at me.

"No, no I'm not going to look."

"What's Celestial Tower? Celestial means like space and stars and stuff, right?"

"It's a place where dead Pokémon are buried. It's best not to go there without a Pokémon of your own though, it's pretty dangerous."

"How can a graveyard be dangerous? All the Pokémon there are dead." Things that were dead were… well, dead. I couldn't see how anything dead could hurt someone.

"Ghost Pokémon," he responded simply.

"There are Pokémon that are ghosts?"

"You wanted to be a trainer and you didn't know about Ghost Pokémon? Yes, there are Pokémon that are ghosts. And they are definitely not safe to be around, so do your best to keep away."

"How will I know if I've found a Ghost Pokémon?"

"You'll know. And it'll be too late once you do," he said, crossing his arms.

My mom shuddered. "Can we cut the ghost-talk? There are no wild Ghost Pokémon that live by Route 9, anyway."

I watched us go over mountains, and began to feel drowsy. I looked at my mom sleepily. She looked down at me and leaned me against her, letting me rest on her. "I'll wake you when we get there," she said to me quietly. Soon enough, I was asleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

Mom woke me when we landed, and I groggily made my way out of the plane. My sleep had been just darkness, and such sweet darkness it was given that scare I had this morning with my mirror. Reflections just didn't do that sort of thing. We left the airport and headed into Opelucid proper. As we came in, I saw a sign and read it aloud, "A city of rapid change that respects history…" I ran to catch up with Randall and my mom, since they didn't wait for me, morning sun almost blinding me.

I quickly came to understand that city's name. Opelucid was split in half: West Opelucid was Old Opelucid, and East Opelucid was New Opelucid. Some big house in the center of the city seemed to be the dividing factor. There were some trainers with Pokémon walking around. Admittedly… I didn't know what half the Pokémon were. More than half. In fact, the only one I recognized was a trainer carrying a Cubchoo around. Cubchoo were so cute. "Hey, do you think there's a gym here?"

"There is. The last gym before the Elite Four," Randall said as he walked.

My attention was called to a man sitting on a bench who had long white hair. His skin was even paler than my mom's somehow. He looked like a normal guy in his late thirties… until he pulled up from his button down shirt a black mask to cover his mouth and nose. He made eye contact with me. I blinked, and he was gone. I came to a stop. Today was too weird for me. "Mom. There was a guy sitting there," I said, pointing to the bench.

My mom stopped and looked over. "There's nobody there now. And it's rude to point at people."

"He's not there now. He was there."

"Either way, come on." I went back to following her and Randall. For some reason I couldn't place, I felt uneasy. As we walked, I saw another man who looked like the first, buying a newspaper. This one vanished before my eyes though, no blinking involved. I sped up and took my mom's hand. She looked down at me and asked, "Everything alright?"

"I saw him again."

"Honey, I think you're sick, seeing things. Do you have a fever?" She put a hand on my forehead. "Hm… no fever. Come on. Stop playing around." She kept a firm grip on my head and walked with me and Randall.

We walked by the Pokémon Center. Someone was rushing into the Pokémon Center, calling for help for their Pokémon. A frown came to my face. Right. Pokémon battles meant Pokémon getting hurt. My mom must have noticed my uneasiness because she commented, "That is what happens when you have Pokémon. You can't keep them healthy forever. Sometimes they faint. Sometimes they get sick. Sometimes they die." My grip tightened on my mother's hand. "It's better to not have any Pokémon, you don't have to worry about those things then."

"Of course, there's the other side of it, too. Pokémon can hurt you," Randall explained. "After all, they are tools. Tools to help us achieve greatness. They don't like it when they realize it." I looked up at Randall and blinked. I had never heard that before.

"That's true," my mom agreed, and my gaze went to her. "Pokémon really only are as good as what you need them to do, and then it's best to let them go once they can't fulfill that need any longer."

For one dark moment, I wondered if that's why my Dad had left. Had Mom stopped being able to make him happy? Was he ever happy with her? I looked at my mom, keeping quiet. Well. I saw why Randall would want to be with her. My mom was beautiful and rich, and was funding his lab out of her pocket and the pocket of the Riches family as a whole. That made sense.

I looked to Randall now. I'm not sure what my mom saw in him. He was broke. He wasn't good looking at all. He wasn't really that great. I guess he was smart, if that portal he was making with the people in the lab was actually real and would work. But my mom didn't get anything out of him being smart, and didn't get anything out of his bad looks or his empty wallet.

My eyes fell to the ground, and I felt my grip on my mom's hand loosen. I didn't do anything for my mom besides frustrate her. I didn't even notice I had spoken up. "What about me?"

The two adults looked over. "Huh?"

"What about me? What good am I? What do you need me for?"

My mom and Randall exchanged looks. "Olivia," my mom said softly. "You are not a Pokémon, you are a person. It's different. Now enough of this." She let go of my hand. "You've been acting weird all morning. I want you quiet unless spoken to for the rest of the day."

Normally, I would argue with her. I just gave a small nod. Maybe it was all in my head. We were passing a large fountain. I saw a man who looked like the one I had seen twice – make that thrice now – sitting at the fountain. Except he wasn't dressed like the other ones. I came to a full stop, looking at him. He had a black cloth covering his head in addition to the mask, so only his cheeks, eyebrows, eyes, the bridge of his nose, and his ears were visible of his face. His shirt was comprised of two parts, the top part being black and opaque, covering the upper part of his chest. The rest of the shirt was sheer and let his midriff and belly button be visible. It was weird to see this guy's stomach, but weirder still that he was so in shape.

I turned my head to see how far ahead Randall and my mom were. Pretty far. I turned my head back… and the guy was now in front of me. I jumped back. He offered me a piece of paper. Well, no, more like cardboard. He patted me on the head when I took it in my hands. It was tan-brown color, with darker-tan markings on it going down it. It looked like a spiral. One side had writing on each of the lines, and the other simply had white embossed words: Team EVO. "… what in the world is Team EVO?" I lifted my head to look at the man who had handed me the glossy cardboard paper, but he was gone.

"Olivia! Olivia, what are you doing standing around there? Are you coming or not!"

"Yes, coming, sorry!" I put it in the large pocket on the front of my jumper and caught up with them again.


	6. Chapter 6

I never thought I'd hate shopping so much until I went there with my mom. I'm not exaggerating, I hate it. I would never shop again if I could help it, at least with her. And Randall seemed to agree. We passed by a clothing store, and she pointed to it. "Alright, let's go!"

"No."

"Susan, I thought you ordered the lab coat to come in from Kalos," Randall reasoned, sagging with bags of supplies. My supplies. I wanted to carry them, but no, Mom insisted he did it.

"I did. But look at the way you two dress. It's horrible."

I looked at Randall. He dressed like he was going to work every day. He looked back at me. I remembered he stood up for my jumper before. We both looked at my mom.

"He's dressed fine."

"She's dressed fine."

My mother gave a delighted squeal and hugged us. "I'm so glad you two are getting along, and it's showing how similar you two are! Which is why I know we have to get you both new clothing." She turned around again, walking a few steps forward with her back to us. "A dress for Olivia—"

"Please, anything but that, I'll never eat another sweet again, anything but that."

"— or a nice set of skinny jeans for Randall—"

"Uhm… please, think about this…"

"You're right." Randall and I looked at each other, and for a second time, we were on the same wavelength and shared a nod. "We should get matching outfits so we always look the same! Yes, a polka dot set, a plaid set, a set of Emolga onesies! It's perfect! Don't you think, you guys?" She turned around when faced with silence. "You guys?"

Or I can only assume that's what happened, because the second the word "matching" left my mother's mouth, Randall and I had bolted off into the mall into opposite directions. I don't know where he went, but I knew where to go if I got lost: there was an information kiosk on the first floor that would help me find them if it happened. For now, it was just a matter of getting far, far away from her.

After wandering around for a while, I found a Pokémon shop. Now by Pokémon shop, I don't mean one that sells Pokémon supplies, there were plenty of those. I mean there were Pokémon for sale, baby Pokémon, some eggs. I looked to the nauseatingly pink banner with baby blue cursive font, naming the store: Hatched Happiness. At each side of the words was a happy baby pink Pokémon with a dark pink cheeks and a little white egg sticking from its pouch. At least that's what it looked like. Okay, so the name was as cheesy as the banner, but the baby Pokémon were so cute. I looked in through the window at the Pokémon which looked like they were right off the banner, and some baby pink star-shaped ones with dark brown marks on their ears, just behind the glass, playing and frolicking.

A woman walking behind me commented, presumably to the person she was walking with, "It's a shame they allow a place like this in a store."

Another woman's voice asked, "What do you mean?" They both sounded significantly older than me.

"These Pokémon are all breedjects in massive Pokémills."

I mouthed the words. Breedject? Pokémill? I looked over at the two older ladies as they talked, walking past. One of the ladies looked as confused as I felt.

"Breedject… a breeding reject… a Pokémon who a breeder decides isn't fit for any number of the four main Pokémon lifestyles: breeding, showmanship, battle, and survival. But they charge you at the rate of a well-bred Pokémon. Worse yet, they're from Pokémills, where you'll find Pokémon who are kept in substandard conditions and are expected to breed over and over, sometimes with their siblings, sometimes with their children."

"Oh my, that's terrible."

"Isn't it? Nobody should buy from a Pokémill!"

I looked back to the window, wondering if the baby Pokémon were still quite so cute. Instead, pressed against the window was a face, staring directly at me with bright green eyes set low on an oblong head, black markings just above its head and taking up most of the space of what I assumed to be its face.

"AH!" I jumped back, screamed, and ran away. I didn't know what it was that was trying to contact me. All I knew was that I didn't want it to, whatever it was. I ran and ran, until I came to a crowded part of the mall, getting shoved and bumped around by adults who didn't even notice I was there. My panic grew. I needed to be found. I needed to get back to my mom, or at least Randall. As much as I didn't like the guy he was better than being stuck lost in a crowd. "Excuse me," I said to an adult. They bumped past me, not hearing me. I raised my voice, trying to keep from falling over as I was buffeted from all angles by passersby. "Excuse me!" But again, I went unnoticed. "Please… please help me! I need to get to the kiosk downstairs!" Nobody turned or noticed me there. What if I was trapped here forever?

I spotted a door. I didn't know what it was for or where it led, but it would bring me away from this crowd. I fought the wave to it and went through. It was pitch black, the black tiles only barely illuminated by the light coming in from the mall proper thanks to the open door. I panted, "Okay… Okay Liv… you got this… you're alright… just go back in… someone will help you."

A slow _cre-e-eaking_ sound came from behind me.

 _ **THUD!**_

My head whipped to the sound of the door shutting, leaving me in total darkness. I put my hands on the doorknob and tried to turn it and twist it this way and that to no avail. "Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no." I shook all over. "I am not dying in this mall!"

A small violet sparkle caught the corner of my eye, like a small flame. It made the darkness a little more bearable. My worries slowly started to melt away. "What… a floating light?" It was somehow the least strange thing I had experienced that day. It also reminded me of the nightlight I grew up with.

It bobbed in the air, and moved away from me slowly. It was so dark, and I couldn't leave the way I came in. I followed after it. "Are you leading me out of here?"

 _Liiiiiiiiiiiiitwiiiiiiiick_.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't know how long I had been walking for, following that growing bobbing purple mote. The further I walked, the calmer I felt. My mind recalled randomly when I was younger, sitting on the sand at the beach with my mother. I saw her smiling face in my memory and felt soothed by it. It made me feel warm. So warm.

My footsteps felt more labored as I continued. Next, I recalled laying in my crib as a baby. I recalled my baby mobile over my bed, turning slowly. A soft music box melody played from it as Staryu and Starmie slowly turned in a circle. I reached out my hand for the mobile.

 _LITWICK_!

I snapped out of it and saw myself in a well-lit room under construction. That strange thing from before was floating in front of me, panting like it was out of breath. _Elgy_ … _em_ …

Feeling dizzy, I leaned against the wall. In my mind, I heard its voice. "Are you okay?"

"What the…"

"Are you. Okay." Its voice was small and tiny and sweet. It sounded adorable for a… whatever it was. "Pokémon. Elgyem. I'm an Elgyem. Why were you following a Litwick?"

"It was helping me out of here! And why were you following me?"

"That's… that's beside the point!" _Elgyem_! "I came looking for you and you were walking around the room following the Litwick!"

"Why would it lead me in circles? It was helping me out."

"If by helping you out you mean eating your soul, yes." _Elgy_.

"My… soul?"

"Yeah." A white candle, wide and about a foot tall, came out from behind the boxes. Its one visible golden eye looked angry. It had a large purple flame burning over its head, giving it almost another foot in height.

"How can I even understand you? I haven't seen your mouth move. Do you have a mouth?"

"Telepathy." _El_. This weird Pokémon called an Elgyem – which could apparently speak to me! – was hovering in front of me. It stared at the Litwick. Maybe staring it down. Elgyem placed one of its strange hands with its three bulbous extrusions on its own head, and held out its other hand at the Litwick. The Litwick gave a shudder and looked around, its flame significantly decreased.

"What was that? Are you fighting it?"

 _Gyem_. "Yes. I used a psychic attack on it to confuse it. And it seems it was confused. I'm glad that worked. It doesn't always work. My mom would be so proud of me!"

The Litwick ran forward… and right past us into a wall. _Lii_ ~… Its flame became even smaller.

"Hey, soul-eater, you missed!"

 _ELGYEM_! "DON'T TAUNT IT! I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT FAINT SO WE CAN GET AWAY, NOT GET US BOTH KILLED!" The little psychic Pokémon flailed its arms, staring at me.

"You're doing fine, taunting it is okay!" The Litwick turned to face us once more. Elgyem looked to the Litwick and placed its hands on its own head, closing its eyes. The Litwick floated into the air and was shook about violent. Its flame decreased in size significantly. It was about four inches in height now.

The deceiving soul-sucker was still having trouble looking at Elgyem. Even so, it managed to call flames forth about it, and they fired straight at us. "Move!" I jumped back at the direction, but the Elgyem hadn't moved in time, the flame burning its body. It gave a shudder.

"Are you okay?" Though I had asked, I got no response. The Elgyem did as before, putting its hands to its head and flailing the Litwick about. The Elgyem broke free of this psychic attack and went to run at us once more, its flame almost gone. And with its final crash into a wall, its flame went out. "Yay! You did it! You did it, Elgyem!" Elgyem waivered in the air, and started to fall. I quickly caught it. "Elgyem?"

It looked up at me with pain in its eyes. _El_ … _gy_ … "The burn… hurts…"

"Burn? Burn. Right. You're burnt. We need a Pokémon Center. There's one in town." I ran out of the room to find the crowd had lightened up now that it was lunch time… wait, lunch? I had been in that room for like two hours? Maybe mom and Randall were at the food court. "We'll let my parents know first."

The Elgyem didn't respond, just nestled into me. I started running to the food court, holding it in my arms. Finally, it spoke up, "Clark." _Elgyem_. "My name is Clark."

"I'll call you Xerneas if it'll make you get better. But Clark. Okay, Clark. We're going to my mom and her husband first."

"I don't like them…" It — well, he — nestled against me. Or at least I thought it was a he. Was it a he? Maybe a she? "… I'm male, yes. Not that it matters."

"Erm. Are you always going to do that?"

"Learn to think more quietly." _Elgy_.

I ran to the food court holding Clark in my arms. I spotted my mom and Randall, sitting and eating what had to be the most expensive food in the food court, along with having tall cups of coffee. Bleh, coffee, yuck. I looked down at Clark, then looked back up. Right. I had no time to think of coffee or what they had to say. I had to get Clark healed.

I ran to their table. "Mom. Randall. We need to go to a Pokémon Center. Now."

My mom stared at Clark. "What in the world is that thing you're holding?"

Randall began, "You know, actually, Susan, Elgyem are suspected to be from out of this—"

"He is a Pokémon and my friend, his name is Clark, and he is burnt. He saved my life. We need to get him to a Pokémon Center, NOW!"

Randall and my mom looked at each other for a moment before returning their gazes to me. "But Olivia," my mother said with a frown. "We're having lunch. Can't it wait until after?"

"No! Forget both of you, I need to help him!" I turned on my heels are ran for the stairs. I was crying. Again. I'm not sure why I was in tears. Maybe it was the sleepiness. Maybe it was that I was running on fumes after being attacked by that Litwick. Whatever it was, I was going to get Clark help if it was the last thing I did.


	8. Chapter 8

I made it down to the information kiosk and saw a line. But it was a line of healthy people with their healthy Pokémon. So I cut the line and yelled, "EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME!" to the receptionist to get her attention. She ignored me. "EXCUSE ME I HAVE A QUESTION!"

"As does everyone else," the receptionist said shortly. "Get in line."

I frowned and started to explain, "But my friend—"

"I don't care. Get in line."

"My friend is in trouble though!"

"I. Do not. Care." The receptionist repeated through gritted teeth. "Get. In. Line."

One of the men in line asked, "What's wrong with your friend?" I brought my attention to the man, and his eyebrows went up when he noticed Clark in my arms. "Looking for a Pokémon Center?"

I gave a nod, running in place. "Yes. I don't remember which way it is from here."

"Okay, so you head out, and you hang a left—" I went to leave but he yelled, "Come back, I'm not done!" So I ran back over, running in place once again. "As I was saying, you head out and hang a left at the intersection, then go straight until you go through the gate area separating Route 9 and Opelucid. Once you're in Opelucid, it's a bit of a dash, but you can get to the Pokémon Center by going straight, past the fountain. Just keep going straight, it'll be on your left. It's in New Opelucid."

I ran off, yelling, "THANKS!" to the man as I did. Maybe he heard me, maybe he didn't. I didn't really care. I needed to get Clark help. Once out of the mall, I ran towards the intersection. "We're going to get you help, Clark. You'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay." This would be so much quicker, so much easier if my mom and Randall had taken him here and run and let me catch up.

Clark didn't respond to me. I checked to see if he had fainted. He hadn't, he was just being quiet. Probably saving his energy. I hung a left at the intersection and ran towards the gate. When I say gate, I mean large building separating two areas instead of you know… an actual fence gate.

I ran into the gate area and bumped into someone with green hair in a ponytail. "Sorry!" I called to the person and kept running. It was probably some nobody. Most people were nobodies. I ran past the fountain where the weird guy had been. A part of me remembered that weird glossy cardboard, but I pushed the thought out of my head as best as I could. I knew I was too tired to read it right now, and Clark was more important.

I ran and ran until I made it to the Pokémon Center. Luckily there were no lines here. "Nurse! Nuuurse!" Perhaps hopping in place wouldn't get her attention or make her come over more quickly, but I thought it might.

Whether or not hopping did work, a woman came over with pink hair styled in two downward loops, almost like pigtails, and with curled bangs that really helped emphasize the blueness of her eyes. A pink and cream colored Pokémon followed after her. The woman's outfit matched the Pokémon with her. She was wearing a white apron, a pale pink dress, white stockings, and simple pale pink shoes with a buckle. Both wore white caps bearing a blue cross on the center. My mom probably would have congratulated this woman on her color coordination if she was there instead of sitting in the food court with her husband.

"Your Elgyem is pretty badly burnt." _Audino_. "Audino says you are rather hurt too. What happened?"

"Litwick. A Litwick happened."

"You started a fight with a Litwick?" Then came the scolding. "What sort of irresponsible trainer are you! Why, your license should be revoked, didn't you know Litwick have attacks that can easily hurt your Elgyem!"

"How was I supposed to know that, I'm not a trainer, and he's—"

"Elgyem is a Psychic type Pokémon, and Litwick is a Ghost type Pokémon. On top of that, look how weak your Elgyem is, I'm surprised it could survive any battles against anything stronger than a newly hatched Patrat!"

"I'm not a trainer! The Litwick attacked _me_ , and Clark came and saw and he fought to protect me, I didn't tell him to, I didn't know him! And he's not my Pokémon!"

"… You mean you were stalked by a Litwick and attacked?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how far away we are from Litwick or any ghost Pokémon here in Opelucid?"

"Pretty far, I got it, my mom's husband said that. It must have followed me from somewhere."

The nurse looked at me with a quizzical expression. "Why didn't you look at your Pokédex and see that you should keep far, far away from Litwick?"

"I don't have a Pokédex."

"And you're not a trainer?"

"No. I'm not a trainer. Clark isn't mine." I would have thrown my hands in the air out of frustration if they weren't attached to my arms, which were keeping Clark off the floor.

Her hands went on her hips. She raised an eyebrow at me as she asked, "How do you know its name if you're not its trainer? Naming a Pokémon is something trainers do, or people who keep Pokémon as pets."

The doors to the Pokémon Center opened and shut behind me, but aside from the sound, I didn't care. I could hear my voice rising as I spoke, "I. Am not. A trainer. I didn't name him. He told me his name. I want to be a trainer, but I'm not. Clark is my friend, not my Pokémon. He saved me." Realizing I was almost yelling, I sighed and softened my voice. "Please save him," I begged. "Please."

I began to feel light headed and fall backwards. The last thing I saw was the nurse's and Audino's panicked expressions, and the last thing I felt was a pair of arms catching me before I made contact with the ground.

And then everything went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

My eyes weren't open, but I could hear talking. A man's voice. It was gentle. "So she doesn't understand you when you speak normally?"

 _Elgy Elgyem_! went the voice of an Elgyem… maybe it was Clark. The voice sounded like it came from on top of me, and my slight shifting pretty much confirmed it: Clark was sitting on my belly.

"Ah… I guess she's not exactly like me, then," the man sighed. "I wonder if anyone is."

What? A person who could speak to Pokémon? I rubbed my eyes, and felt whatever was on top of me move. I moved my hands away and opened my eyes, finding myself face-to-face with those bright green eyes. They were starting to become familiar. _El_ - _gy_ - _em_! "Good morning, Olivia!" His little voice was clear in my mind.

I lifted him up under his arms and sat up slowly. "… morning… but it's afternoon, isn't it?" I asked tiredly.

"Actually, about four in the afternoon to be precise," said the man in somewhat rushed speech, who I looked at. He was looking at his watch. Green hair. Baseball cap. The blood drained out of my face.

"You're the guy I bumped into on the way here! I'm so sorry for that, but—"

"But you were saving Clark. It's not a big deal." He smiled at me. "It was refreshing to see you care so much about a Pokémon who isn't bound to a Pokéball."

"He told you his name?"

"And yours, Olivia."

"Erm… yeah. He's not my Pokémon. But he saved me." I shifted Clark so I was cradling him instead of holding him like he was an overexcited child. Though perhaps he was.

"From a Litwick. I know. He told me everything. Do you know who I am?" I shook my head. "It's just as well. Do you want to be a Pokémon Trainer?" I shrugged in response. Clark lifted his head to look up at me. "Oh? Clark said you did."

"I did, but… Pokémon can be pretty scary, can't they… my mom and her boyfriend warned me about being a trainer. I'm not even a trainer and I was attacked by a Pokémon. Having a Pokémon by my side to protect me seems like a good thing, but a trainer, I'm not so sure anymore."

"You were just unlucky with that Litwick," the man explained. "Most Pokémon aren't like that."

"Ghost types?"

"Human haters," he corrected.

The blank look on my face must have prompted Clark to speak, letting out a string of _Elgyem_ 's in the process. "That Litwick hates humans. Just because some Pokémon need to survive feeding on humans doesn't mean they all hate them. I think it knows something. I think it knows why you're important and wanted to eat you because of that. I think that's why it followed us from Mistralton."

"Important?" the man and I asked at the same time.

"Uh-huh, you're gonna—oh. Right. I'm not supposed to talk about it. Because it might change things. But my mom told me about it," Clark said, speaking to me telepathically. Though it seemed the man understood what he was saying. "My mom saw into the future and saw you're important and a good person, Olivia."

"Is that why you keep scaring me? Because your mom told you to?" I asked.

"No!" He waved his arms. "I don't MEAN to scare you, you just get scared so easily!" I must've made a face because he started laughing.

I looked up at the man. "You can understand Clark? Is he speaking to you telepathically also?"

"No. I can hear him as plainly as I hear you when he speaks."

The setting sun shone light into the room in the Pokémon Center, showing off the man's face and features. His body was pretty thin, and he had a loose white button-down with three-quarter sleeves on over a black turtleneck shirt. He had green eyes and a soft face, and a really genuine smile that soothed me despite having just spoken of human-hating Pokémon and visions of the future. Collecting my thoughts took a few moments, which had us sitting there in silence. "You wouldn't be scared if you were me and it happened to you since you can understand Pokémon, right?"

It was his turn to shake his head, though he still had that smile on. "I can hear them speak and I can comprehend their words, but understanding a Pokémon is as difficult as understanding another human. Maybe more, since we don't live the same lives. I do try, though." My eyes followed from his face down his chest to his stomach, and finally his hips. "Eh? What are you looking for?"

"You don't have any Pokéballs?"

"Why would I? I'm a registered trainer, but I don't believe in enslaving or confining Pokémon. I have friends, and they help me if they're able and I need it." When he spoke, I became more conscious of the fact Clark was in my arms. And that he was playing with my hair with big, amazed eyes, like he had never actually touched a human's hair before. "What about you? You said you wanted to be a trainer before. Why didn't you go become one?"

"I don't want to let my mom down and do something against her wishes. I don't want to be like my dad and just leave. She said I can't be a trainer and I can't have my own Pokémon." Now my gaze fell onto Clark once more. "Which is why you shouldn't be following me around."

"I'm not your Pokémon." _Elgyem_.

"I know, but if you do keep following me around, people will think that—"

"I'm your friend!" _Elgyem_! He hugged onto me.

I opened my mouth in protest, and then closed it and frowned. He was like a friend, wasn't he.

Even maybe was my friend. I looked up to the man for help and he gave a shrug. "You did say he was your friend when you ran in here. That you had to save him. Seems to me like it's settled: you two are friends. And since he's not _your Pokémon_ , there should be no problem with your family that he's following you around."

I sighed in defeat. "Yes. You're my friend, Clark." The man began to get up. "Where are you going?"

"I wanted to make sure you were both alright and get to know the young lady who was yelling for help for her friend. I should be on my way. I'm sure we'll meet again, Olivia. You live in Mistralton?"

"Yes. Not far from Chargestone Cave. My mother's husband runs a lab right near there."

"I haven't been to Chargestone Cave in a long time. I'll make sure to visit it again." He turned to leave. This guy had been pretty nice. Despite my age, he treated me like an adult. I really hoped I would run into… into…

"Wait! What's your name!"

He got to the door and opened it. He looked back at me, taking a three-quarter turn to do so. "You can call me N. It's been a pleasure, Olivia. Your mother and her husband are outside being yelled at by Nurse Joy, when you're ready. We'll meet again." He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once I was sure he was gone, I found myself speaking mostly to myself, "He's… really cool. I hope I'm that cool someday."

"Not today, today is a warm day! You're warm, Olivia! You're warm after sleeping! It's so nice!" he nearly sung in my mind, singing out _Elgy Elgy Elgyeeem_! when he spoke to me in my mind.

"Hold on… mom and Randall are getting yelled at by Nurse Joy? I have GOT to see this!"


	10. Chapter 10

We could hear the yelling before we even got to the main room of the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy was letting Mom and Randall have it.

"Do you know how dangerous it is for a child to wander alone outside of a town or village? What sort of parents are you that you let her wander alone! This is one reason ten year olds become trainers in the first place, to cope with irresponsible parents who would sooner let their children wander off to their death for the sake of doing _what_ exactly?!"

"Well, Joy, you see, I'm not actually her fa—"

"That's MISS NURSE JOY to you!"

With Clark on my shoulders and hugging my head, I went to the main room. My mom was rubbing her temples. "We were out. Eating lunch. We let her play on her own all the time back home and she's fine. How were we supposed to know she was going to get attacked by a Pokémon? We were in the mall."

"In the mall. Which is on Route Nine. Which is filled with Pokémon. And she was stalked by a Ghost Pokémon who isn't even from around these parts! How did you not notice? Don't you pay her any attention at all?"

"Of course I pay attention to her," my mom said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't know she wanted to be a trainer. We turned her down so she didn't get into this sort of trouble in the first place."

"Let me get this straight," Joy said, her hands on her hips. "You didn't let your daughter become a Pokémon trainer because you didn't want her to get into this sort of trouble, but then she ended up getting in that sort of trouble anyway, and when she asked for help, you let her come here all on her own?"

"She's mature enough to know the way here."

"She had her life energy sucked out of her by a Litwick!" Audino punctuated Nurse Joy's point with an _Audino_! "What were you so busy doing that you couldn't save a Pokemon, no less your own daughter?"

"We were eating lunch. She knew the way here obviously or she'd be dead, wouldn't she? My daughter isn't stupid."

Any swelling of pride in my chest from my mother's vote of confidence was quickly knocked out of me by Nurse Joy. "She's a child, she could have died. An adult could have died from that sort of attack. That her or the Elgyem accompanying her lived is a miracle as it is, and that your daughter lived long enough to even have it happen I'm starting to see was also a miracle!"

My mother's face flushed furiously in fury. "Do you want to repeat that?"

Randall looked between my mom and Nurse Joy who were having a stare down, panic evident on his face and his movements which made the shopping bags he held rustle. My mom and Randall weren't the best parents. Randall was only my parent through legality, kind of. He was married to my mom and all. I came over. "I am okay, though." That broke their stare down. "Nurse Joy and Audino both took very good care of me and my friend."

"Olivia Riches, you cannot intend to keep that Pokémon, you're not a trainer."

"I'm not a trainer. He's not my Pokémon." My mother calmed at my words, only to tense up when I continued, "He's my friend and I'd like him to be around me all the time, but that's his choice, not just mine."

Before my mother could get a word in, Nurse Joy gave an unusual laugh, nearly haughty. "Ohoho! Is that how she's managed to survive so long? The Riches family fortune? How lucky it is she didn't turn out like the rest of you."

"Eh?" I looked up at Nurse Joy in confusion.

"Susan," Randall said to my mom. "It's best we just take Olivia and go. It's not right to fight or argue."

"Susan? THE Susan Riches? Have you told your daughter how wonderful you were to your Ursaring?" Nurse Joy said, a nearly malicious smile on her face.

"What? Ursaring? My mom never had an Ursaring. Only a Teddiursa." I said, eyes glued onto the nurse in confusion.

"All the nurses know what happened to that Ursaring, Susan Riches."

My mom grabbed my wrist and began to drag me. "We're going to the airport and going home," she said simply. "Come, Randall."

"Randall? At least you were a decent trainer. I hope your Roggenrola is doing well," Nurse Joy commented as my mom pulled on me.

"Randall doesn't have a Roggenrola or any Pokémon," I said as my mom pulled me out and Randall followed closely after. The last thing I saw of the Pokémon Center was the look of confusion and perhaps horror on Nurse Joy's face. I managed to get my wrist from my mom's hand. Everything felt off. "Mom. You never had an Ursaring. Randall. You don't own any Pokémon and never have."

"That's right, Olivia," my mom said.

"One hundred percent correct," Randall agreed.

"So then why are you acting weird?"

They were silent. _Elgy Elgyem_. Clark sounded scared, even in his speaking to me, "They have scary thoughts right now. I don't like it."

"What did it say?" Randall asked briskly.

"He. Clark. His name is Clark. And I don't know what he said, do you?"

"No," Randall responded. "Clark is a pretty bad name for a Pokémon, especially an Elgyem." I could feel Clark slump against my head at Randall's comment.

"It's a fine name," my mom said. "More important than Pokémon or names is getting to the airport. We're done shopping, may we never return to this twisted city."

 _Elgy_? "Why did you lie?"

I lied because I was scared. Because I didn't understand what that Nurse Joy was talking about. Was Nurse Joy crazy? I knew **everything** about my mom and she never mentioned an Ursaring. And Randall owning a Pokémon? He didn't even have friends, I couldn't see him managing to have a Pokémon as a friend or as anything, at least not if that Pokémon had a choice.

"I think that you learning at the lab will be good for you, Olivia. It will be good for you to have a chance to get to know your dad better and for you two to bond. You must be very excited about working with science and technology, and getting the chance to meet extinct Pokémon," my mom said offhandedly.

"Um… yeah… I'm looking forward to it," I said. I was before. I wasn't so sure anymore. But I knew it was too late to change my mind.


	11. Chapter 11

The ride back on the plane was quiet. Quieter than I've ever heard my mom be. I'd say quieter than when she was asleep, but even asleep, she was noisy, alternating between talking and snoring. How Randall could sleep through it, I have no idea.

Clark was in the plane with us and visible instead of being a stowaway. He actually sat on my lap for the whole ride. My mom and Randall didn't comment on getting rid of him or anything, but then, they didn't have any Pokémon to enforce such a demand with. Thankfully. But even he was quiet for the whole ride, sleeping curled up with his head on my belly. He had one of his… hands?... to his mouth – he had one, real small! – and I could hear him sucking on one of those little glowing things sticking out of his hand. A finger, I guess.

He slept through the plane landing, us getting out, us getting to our house. Once we got inside, though, I looked down at the little Pokémon in my arms, and then looked to my mom. "Mom, can I go out until dinner?"

She glanced between me and the little alien-Pokémon. "Yes," she said. "But you're going to bed early tonight. And I hope you don't intend to keep it."

"Him. He's my friend. If he wants to sleep over he's going to. He's nice to me. Okay, I'm going to the lab, bye!"

As I left, Randall called to me, "Make sure you introduce yourself to Mara!"

I had seen Mara before. She had long hair she kept in a ponytail and glasses thicker than Randall's. Maybe. I thought so, at least. When I got into the lab, Perry was there, working in the main part of the lab by the front. Mara sat by the back, typically, at her work station. I went to him and looked at what appeared to be a Pokédex entry on his computer's monitor. There was a pink Pokémon with little ears and a long, thin tail that was bigger at the end. "Whatcha doin'?" I asked, watching.

"Copying a Pokédex entry and modifying it for the—" he paused and brought his face away from the computer, turning in his chair to look at me. "Liv, welcome back!" Then he noticed me holding Clark. "Your parents let you get a Pokémon?" I shook my head. "You… stole it?" I shook my head again.

"Him. He's my friend. He followed after me and protected me."

"That's a good Pokémon, then. Good Pokémon do that sort of thing. Well, good _anythings_ do, looking out for others." When he said this, my mind was brought back to what happened at the mall. I wanted to talk to him about it. But not at the lab. Perry was pretty good for advice. He was my only human friend. Two friends wasn't bad. I had twice as many friends as Randall or my mom, I figured.

"His name is Clark."

"I see… and he told you this?" I nodded. "And your parents don't know, do they." I shook my head. "Of course not, I don't think Randall would happily let a telepathic anything near here," Perry said.

"Why?" I asked.

Perry shook his head, and looked to his monitor slowly. "… we don't always do things that are right to get the results we want. At the lab, and people in general." He typed a bit, but my eyes were focused on his face.

"Why are you being secretive? Mom, Randall, you… everyone's so secretive."

"And you're not? You just told me that you're keeping Clark's ability a secret from your parents."

"Shhh! Someone might tell on me!" I said, peering at him. He laughed quietly and shook his head.

"I'm not going to tell, but I'll keep quiet on it for you. You said he protected you… from what?"

"I was attacked at the mall."

"What creep attacked a kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" I huffed. "… and it was a Litwick."

He nearly launched out of his chair, got an arm around me, and began to pull me off towards the kitchen area. "Did you have sugar? Are you lightheaded? Have you slept yet? Do you feel warm?"

"I uhm… I slept… the nurse took care of me," I said, walking with him to the kitchen area. "I'm fine now… I had those problems before… but I'm fine now."

"The nurse?" He sounded surprised. "I'm glad your parents brought you to the hospital."

"They didn't."

"But you were treated by a nurse."

"Yes. Nurse Joy. Clark was hurt from protecting me and I had to protect him, so I brought him to the Pokécenter," I said. Perry slowed to a full stop. I turned to him. His face was twisted in what I thought might be restrained rage. But I had never seen Perry angry before. He inhaled sharply through his nose, and spoke pointedly.

"They. Went with you. Right? At least your mom?"

"No. They came after and the nurse yelled at them."

"Good," he said. My stomach rumbled, and that made Clark wiggle around in my arms a little. _Elgy_ … Another, smaller rumble came, but from his little belly. "When did you last eat?"

"Lunch." I paused. "Wait, no. I missed lunch because I was attacked and then saved Clark. Breakfast."

He went to lead me to the kitchen area again. "I have some of my lunch left over, if you don't mind. And there's a bag of Pokéchow we keep in the kitchen," Perry said.

"What was lunch?"

"A salad."

"Eww, just vegetables and fruit?"

"No. There was cheese. And bacon. And croutons. It was a proper salad Liv, what do you think I am, some uncultured fool?" he asked. I couldn't help but laugh at that. My mom had stopped by the lab with me a few times and always picked on the different scientists for eating low-quality products. It ended up becoming an in-joke with the lab workers to call each other uncultured.

Clark woke up once we got into the kitchen and looked up at me. Perry knew that he was a telepath and said he'd keep it secret, and was in the process of getting food for us. Clark looked at Perry for a moment. "Ghh. Please don't telepath me unless it's necessary. It feels weird," he said aloud. _Elgyem_! Clark waved his arms around.

"I think Clark is sorry."

"I am!" Clark said, moving to look up at me. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Nn-nn." I shook my head. I went next to Perry and watched him fill a steel bowl with the word KNIGHT on it with Pokechow. "He said he's sorry."

Perry stopped and looked at Clark. "It's okay. Just try not to if it's not an emergency."

"What's an emergency?" Clark asked me. So I asked Perry for him.

"An emergency is like… if you're in danger, or Liv is in danger, or something bad is about to happen, or something bad is happening, or something bad has happened and someone needs help. Those are emergencies," Perry explained.

Then he and Clark stopped moving, and were quiet.

"Uhm…?"

I looked from Clark to Perry to Clark to Perry, and wiggled Clark a little. I looked to the clock mounted on the wall. Time was still ticking. Everyone outside of the kitchen was still going about their work.

It was an uncomfortable silence. It took too long for Perry to speak, but when he did, he said, "I think it might be a good idea for you to spend more time at the lab and less time at home, Olivia."

"Well I'm going to be, I'm going to be working here and learning here!"

"Good. Don't get too far from Clark, and if you do, be near me. Got it?"

"Why?"

"Olivia, do you understand?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Because I actually care about you," he said stiffly.

"Oh. Well. Thank you for caring?" I asked unsurely. Part of me knew what he said meant a lot, but I didn't know how. "Right! Randall said I have to introduce myself to Mara and get to know her. Can you help me with that?"

"Yeah… sure…" he said, cheeks going red at Mara's name, voice squeaking.

"Why do you get weird whenever anyone mentions Mara? Or when she's near?"

"Get weird?"

"Your face gets all red and you wipe your hands on your pants or your lab coat if you're in the lab, and your speech gets weird," I said.

"Very good observations. You'll make an excellent scientist, like *squeak* Mara."

It hit me. "You like her, don't you!"

"Shshshhhshsh!" He said, covering my mouth. "What if she hears you!"

"Mffmfmfmfmff!"

"What?" He uncovered my mouth.

"She's at her desk. Why are your worried? You're cool. She has to like you back."

"I don't know about that…" He finishing filling the bowl and brought his container and the bowl to the table in the kitchen. He set it down, and Clark hopped over to the bowl and began to eat the Pokéchow. "Don't worry about that though. Eat up. That Litwick did a number on the both of you, and I'm sure Nurse Joy did great, but I won't be able to sleep at night if I don't try to help a little."

"But the Litwick fainted, there's nothing more to do."

Perry shook his head and said to me, "There's always more to do."


	12. Chapter 12

As we sat and ate, Perry was trying to talk to us. And failing. He kept starting to speak, starting with "Hey Olivia" and "You know" and "I think that", but not getting past that point. He'd just stop, inhale, frown, and go quiet. Which was fine with me because his salad was really good. Like, really good. My mom didn't let us have bacon in our salads at home, but it was REALLY good.

He eventually managed to say something. "Did you see that Pokémon that was on my screen before?" I nodded. "Do you know what Pokémon it is?" I shook my head no. "It's a legendary Pokémon, thought to be extinct for a long time. It isn't, but it was thought to be."

I shrugged. Big deal. I mean, that the portal could let us meet ancient Pokémon was pretty cool, but what was so special about this one, aside from being legendary? If it was an important legendary Pokémon, like Arceus, I would have heard of it before. I not only had not heard or seen one of these before seeing it on his monitor, I didn't actually know what it was even called. And I couldn't ask because my mouth was full of salad. The salad was more important than whatever it was called, I'm sure.

"What makes it important is that it shares all the genetic components of all the Pokémon that have ever existed. Even Arceus. It's labeled as the 'New Species' Pokémon, even though it's one of the oldest," Perry said. I gave him a look, trying to express my confusion without speaking.

"What, how does it have the DNA of every Pokémon?"

"Ee ehh ay?" I asked with a full mouth of salad.

"DNA. You know… you… don't know. Okay. DNA is the genetic building block of all life. Plants, animals, people, Pokémon." When the look I gave him persisted, he chuckled and explained to me what DNA was. So everyone was made of this DNA stuff and it showed our ancestry and the like.

"So you have half your DNA from your mother, and half from your father," he said finally. "Mew has the DNA of every Pokémon."

So this 'Mew' Pokémon was made by Arceus, but had Arceus's DNA, which meant it must be Arceus's ancestor. Or something. I managed to get out a "how" before I went back to eating.

"Well, my theory is this. Mew is the base that Arceus used for making different Pokémon, you know, the other legendary Pokémon. When it came to earth, though, Arceus let Mew go on earth and let it live and adapt to its environment, so it changed over time and became many things. And how Mew interacted and bred over time resulted in the different types of Pokémon we have today. Which is what I'm studying and researching. Pokémon evolution."

I managed to store some salad in my cheek like a Dedenne. "Have you ever seen a Mew in person?" He shook his head. I looked to Clark. "Have you?"

"No. I've only seen a few Pokémon before."

"So how do we know it's real?"

"Someone said they saw it and got a picture of it for the Pokédex. Doctor Fuji." Perry said.

"Who's that?"

"An important guy from Kanto."

"He's old, isn't he." It wasn't really me asking, I knew it, he had to be old.

"Yes. So what?

"So maybe he made it up. My mom said old people make things up sometimes to trick young people for fun," I explained to him, since clearly he didn't know.

"Impossible. Doctor Fuji is a reliable source, unlike SOME of the people who have contributed to the Pokédex." He crossed his arms and pouted.

"Huh?"

"Let's just say most of the Pokédex entries look like they were written by someone younger than you," he said. "Finish your salad." I grumbled a response, but still obliged. After me eating in silence for a bit longer, he asked, "Hey, Liv?" I looked up at him. "Do me a favor and just remember this: the people who really look out for you are the ones who show it, not who say it, okay?" I blinked at him and tilted my head. "Can you do that for me?" A weird request, but I nodded and resumed eating.

When I finished eating, I got up. "Thanks for the food. I'm going to go introduce myself to Mara now." Clark looked up at me and held up his arms. "Huh? You want me to carry you?"

"Yes. I want to come too. I want to meet her too. I want to meet new people," Clark said to me, his arms still up. I lifted him up into my arms.

"You're not hungry anymore?"

"I am! I can wait though. I want to meet Mara too."

"Perry, Clark and I will be back."

"I'll come with you and stand by. You know. In case you need support or *squeak* something." So the three of us headed over to Mara's workstation. "Excuse me?" I asked, looking at her.

"What is it? I don't have time for children, I'm busy," she said.

"Uhm. My name is Olivi—"

"I know who you are, you distract Perry from working. What do you want?" Mara asked as she worked with what appeared to be some strange modeling program on her computer.

"Randall said I'm going to be learning from you starting tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you bothering me now?"

I looked to her screen, then to her. She didn't even turn her head to acknowledge my existence. I looked to Perry. He made a go on motion with his hands. I smiled. He was nice to me. Always nice to me. I looked back to Mara. "What do you think of Perry?"

"You are seriously not asking me that."

"I am! Do you like him?"

Mara slowly stopped typing and turned in her chair. The glare she gave me felt like it could bore a hole right through my skull. "I am one of the leading researchers in Unova, one of the only females, working on designing the structural components a Pokéball to handle time travel… and you are asking me about my interest in some man."

"Yes, that sounds about right!" I said with a cheerful smile.

"I suppose next you're going to ask me if I would like to settle down, get married, have children, and all those other sorts of questions?" Those were the sorts of questions my mom would ask, and did ask other women.

"Yep."

"Work starts tomorrow for you. I have no interest to talk to you about anything aside from work. Even then, only during work. I do not want to hear about anything, not your family, not that Elgyem, not how your life is going."

"Uhm…"

"Go. Away." She turned back towards the computer and started working again.

"I don't like her, she's mean," Clark said in his little small voice in my mind. I looked down at him and nodded.

Perry came over and led me back to his workstation, plopping to sit down in his chair with a heavy sigh. "Why… did you ask her something like that?"

"Well, you said that people who mean they care about you do things, not say things! I was doing a thing!"

"I didn't…" He sighed again and put his hands on his face. "Argh. She'll never like me now."

"I'm sorry, Perry…" I frowned and slumped. I was sorry. I didn't mean to ruin his chances with her.

"I wouldn't want to be liked by someone that mean," Clark said.

"Yeah, I agree."

"Did Clark say something?" Perry asked.

"He said he wouldn't want to be liked by someone that mean."

"She might be mean, but she's smart and she's beautiful and…"

"And you sound really dumb right now," I said looking at Perry.

He looked me square in the eyes and said, "Now you know how I feel listening to you most of the time."

We both laughed. He was joking. I was serious. I think he knew I was serious. "Perry, can I stay here until dinner time?"

"Yes, please do. Do you want paper to draw on, or do you want to get started studying so you're a little prepared for work tomorrow?"

"Paper!"

"Alright, let me get you some."

I spent the rest of the day drawing with Clark until dinner time. It had been a rough day. But being able to draw with Clark, having Perry there talking to me sometimes, was maybe the happiest I had ever been. When I crawled into bed that night, mine and Clark's drawings on my desk, I asked him, "Do you think it will be fun tomorrow at work?"

Elgyem. "Not if we have to spend time with Mara. But we'll be together, so it'll be okay."

"I hope so…" I looked at my ceiling, and then over at Clark who was laying with his head on my pillow. "What do you think of Perry?"

"I don't like him. But I like him more than your mom or Randall." _Elgy Elgyem_. Wait. He didn't like Perry?

"What's wrong with Perry?"

"He knows something and he isn't saying it and it's bad."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. But I know it's there." I frowned at Clark's words. He put one of his hands on my nose. "Sleep."

"You sleep."

"No you sleep."

"You first."

"No."

"Yes."

"No you."

"Can't make me."

"Can't make me either!"

From my mother's room came my mother's voice, yelling, "SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!"

I looked at Clark's face and gave a quiet giggle, snuggling against my bed and curling up facing him, slipping into slumber land, hoping to only remember the last third of my day come tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

After the whirlwind yesterday was, I found myself praying for peace today. Perhaps a prayer in vain, but, I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't try. The first thing I saw upon waking was Clark playing with my hair, his little fingers alternating brightness as he did. His eyes were closed, and he was bouncing while sitting on his bottom. _El_! _Gy_! _Em_! _El_! _Gy_! _Em_!

"What are you doing Clark?"

He froze mid-jump and fell stiff onto his bottom, eyes open wide. "Uhm… I can explain."

"Oh can you?"

"Yes. Yes it's a very good explanation."

"And that would be…?"

His voice was small, but somehow, his words meant a lot to me. "I like your hair. It makes me happy."

I squealed louder than a happy Spoink and took him up in my arms, hugging him close to my heart. "YOU ARE SO CUTE PLEASE STAY MY FRIEND FOREVER!"

 _Elgyem_! He nodded his head and tried his best to hug me in return. A knock came to my door.

"Mademoiselle, it is time for breakfast. Your parents are growing impatient."

"Thanks Zoe, I'll be down soon!" I climbed out of bed, Clark in my arms. I heard Zoe move away from the door. "What do you think Clark, do you want to stay for breakfast?" He nodded his head.

"How long can I stay for?"

"However long you want. It's fine with me."

"I'll keep you safe, Olivia. You'll keep me safe too?"

"I'll try." I headed downstairs, not ready at all for the day aside from being awake and hungry. My parents were sitting at the table. Randall made a face at Clark.

"You can't intend to keep it," he said with a frown.

"I'm not keeping him. He's my friend. He's staying over as my friend."

"It's a wild Pokémon. It's unpredictable. It could hurt you."

"He's my friend," I reaffirmed, sitting down at the table, looking down at the eggs and bacon in front of me. Yum.

I went to take a bite, but felt eyes on me. I looked down. Clark was groaking pretty hard. I offered him a piece of my scrambled eggs. He opened his little mouth, stretching forward for it. I moved it to his little mouth, and he took it and began to chew. His eyes lit up. _Elgyem_! "It's so good!"

"I'll feed you lots."

"Really, Olivia, that food's for you, not for the Pokémon," my mom said, shaking her head. "I'll have the servants make more."

"You can't really be alright with her having a wild Pokémon around her."

"It's pretty cute," my mother reasoned. I nodded in agreement.

"He is VERY cute." Clark put his little hands on his face and wiggled. His small, stubby tail was wagging. "Oh you like being called cute, huh?" Clark closed his eyes. _Elgyyy_.

Randall pointed his forkful of egg at my mother and I. "He won't be cute forever. Elgyem evolve into Beheeyem. Those are about as cute as the broadside of a Garbodor."

"Isn't cuteness something that's different between people? Like, can't my mom view something as cute and I view something as cute and we think the other is wrong?" I asked. I remember grandma once said that. Unfortunately, she had said that about me to my mother, when my grandma had said I was the ugliest baby she had ever seen.

"Who told you that trash?" Mom asked, staring at me.

"Grandma."

"Well Grandma's off her rocker, cute is cute, it's quantifiable, like beauty. And you are very cute. So is the alien. You're higher on the cuteness scale. But Garbodor are not cute."

"His name is Clark," I repeated for what felt like the billionth time since I learned his name.

A servant brought over more food, and I alternated feeding myself and Clark. "So what will you do when it's not cute anymore?" Randall asked my mom. I looked up.

"We'll deal with that when we get there. For now, he's fine. Right, Clarence? You're fine?"

"Really Mom? Really? I just said his name is Clark."

"I don't like that name. I'm going to call him Clarence."

"I thought you said it's a fine name," I said as I rubbed Clark's head.

"It's fine, but it's not great or even good. Clarence is his new name."

Clark looked up at me and said quietly, "But my mommy named me… I like being Clark… I don't want to change my name." I shook my head at him a little. He wouldn't change his name. His name was Clark. Even if my mom was a butt and referring to him by other names.

As we finished eating, Randall spoke up. "Work is in an hour, Olivia. I expect you to get changed and be there on time or early. Remember to bring all your supplies."

"All of them? On the first day?"

"Yes. We're going to put them in a desk for you. Near Mara's. You spoke with her?" I recalled that memory.

"Yes, I did."

"What do you think?"

She's mean and grumpy. "She seems nice." And uses big words. "Probably smart." Hates me. "I think we're going to get along."

"Great, that's great. So I can count on you to bother Perry less, then? His work is very important as well."

"Bother him? I don't bother him. I play with him and talk with him."

"You bother him. He just doesn't want to hurt your feelings because you're so young. He'd much rather focus on his work."

I could feel sadness coming over me, but before it could take hold… _Elgy_ - _gyem_! "That's not true!" _Gyem_! _Gyeeeeem_! "He's lying! Lyiiiiing!"

"Thank you for telling me," I said mildly. "I'll go get ready for work." I got up and headed to the stairs, carrying Clark still. Halfway up the stairs, I heard the two of them talking, still at the table.

"Susan, you shouldn't encourage her to keep Pokémon around her. They're dangerous. Psychic types can get especially dangerous."

"I know Randall… but… oh, come on! You saw how cute it was!"

"Yes. But cute Pokémon can become ugly when they evolve."

"Oh trust me, I know. In case you forgot, that's why I don't have a Pokémon anymore. I don't have a need for things that aren't cute."

"I'm cute, then?"

"In a geek-genius sort of way, yes."

"Wait, you think I'm a gen—" I didn't hear them continue. I went up the stairs. For some reason, Nurse Joy's words were echoing in my head: _All the nurses know what happened to that Ursaring_. Did Teddiursa evolve into Ursaring? Maybe I would ask Perry about it.

Clark tapped my chin as we got into my room. I looked down at him. "Perry doesn't think you're annoying. He's not telling you something and I don't like him for that, but he doesn't think you're annoying or bothering him."

I could feel a smile spread across my face. I gave Clark a warm hug. "You're the best, Clark… now… let's get ready for work!"


	14. Chapter 14

While I was getting ready, I saw that piece of glossy type paper shaped like a helix on my desk. One of the servants must have found it in my jumper pocket and placed it on my desk for me. I went over to it took it, and sat on my bed. Clark floated after me.

"What's it say?" Clark asked, looking down at it.

"It says Team EVO." I said, looking at it.

Clark tilted his head a little. _Elgy_? "What's Team EVO?"

"I'm not sure. But I haven't heard of any group before that starts with the word Team that ended up being good. So maybe it's bad." I looked down at the paper, and held it to Clark. "What do you think?"

"Hmm…" _Em_ … He looked down at it for a long time, then at my face. "I can't read." I flopped back onto my bed in response, holding it over my head. I turned it over and saw more writing. "What's that?"

"More words. Let me read it to you." I ahem'd, and read to him, "Are you looking for friends? Looking for wisdom? Looking to support a great cause? Look no further than Team EVO."

Clark interrupted me. "It sounds pretty good so far. Friends are good, right?"

"Right, friends are good, we like having friends." I said, glancing to him, before looking back at it and continuing reading. "The legends state humans and Pokémon were once one, and throughout time, we have tried to control them. Team EVO believes humanity is a pox upon all Pokémon and that we must do our best to prevent any further damage."

Clark interrupted me again. "What's a pox?"

"Ionno. It sounds bad." I read the rest of it. "Look no further than how humans treat Pokémon to see how true this is. If you're interested in joining the cause, look behind your nearest Pokémon Center for meetings held every Saturday night. Pokémon are welcome only outside of Pokéballs. All ages welcome." I lowered it, staring at my ceiling. "Huh."

"Are we going to go?"

"Yeah we're gonna go!" I sat up and grinned at Clark. "I want to meet new people, and they sound like that guy we met at the Pokémon Center. It doesn't sound like it's bad, does it?"

Clark shook his whole body as a 'no.' "I want to meet other people who are nice," he said in a small voice.

"I'm sure we'll meet lots there. Now, how are you coming with me?" I got up and put the paper away in my drawer. I felt a weight on my head, though not obscenely heavy. A look to the mirror revealed he was splayed atop my head. I readjusted my lab coat. "That works!" I headed down stairs. As I did, I could feel him playing with my hair again. "You like my hair a lot."

"Yes. It feels nice. I don't have any hair or fur."

"Yep, you're naked."

"Is that bad?"

"No, Pokémon go around naked, it's natural."

"Are humans natural with clothing? Or is naked natural for them too?"

"I… don't know! We can ask Perry. I'd say we can ask Mara, but she's grumpy."

"Mara acts like she ate an Apicot berry," Clark said, wiggling on my head.

I rolled my eyes. "I should call you Wiggles, you move so much."

"I can't help it, my tail moves my whole body!"

"How can something so small move your whole body? You have next to no tail!"

"I'm very happy!" _El_!

When we got to the lab, I headed towards where Mara's station was. I saw her and Randall talking. Randall's hand was on her shoulder as he spoke to her. I couldn't hear them too well. He seemed aware of my presence and let his hand slide off her shoulder. "Ah, you're here, good. Mara will be taking care of you from now on, as you know." I nodded. Mara extended a hand to me.

"… I look forward to educating you, Miss Riches." She had on a smile that reminded me of the ones that Mom gave people sometimes. I shook her hand anyway. It was expected.

"I look forward to being educated…?" I glanced to Randall. He nodded his head.

He went to my bags I brought in and set them on my desk. He took a key out of his pocket and gave it to me. It was a small key. "Here. It's for locking your desk. You put your belongings in there, then lock them up whenever you leave your desk. You remember how to use a computer, right?" I nodded. "Good. You have access only to our network, so you won't be able to read manga or anything like that." I snapped.

"Is that Elgyem going to be here the whole time?" Mara asked uneasily. I nodded to Mara.

"His name is Clark."

"Is he well behaved?"

"Yes, he's very well behaved. He protected me from a Litwick."

"Why did you instigate a fight with a Litwick?"

"I didn't!" I frowned at Mara.

Randall shook his head at Mara. "She didn't. The nurse in Opelucid gave us an earful over it. Anyway, good luck you two, I'll be off working on my own. Don't let her bother Perry until she's learned enough."

As Randall walked away, Mara said quietly, "I thought he was going to share in babysitting duty…" She inhaled and gave me another one of those charming, fake smiles. "Alright then. Set up your desk and then talk to me." She went to her seat and immediately went to work on her Pokéball designs.

As I was packing away my belongings, I whispered to Clark, "So what about her? Is she trustworthy?"

"I don't know. She seems like she's friends with Randall, so I don't like her."

"They do seem like they might be really good friends. My mom doesn't even let Randall touch her shoulder. But I never saw my mom and Randall as friends."

Mara rolled in her chair near me. "Do you always talk to yourself?"

I jumped a little. "No!" I said. "Sorry! I just. Thinking to myself."

"Do it more quietly. I don't need my work interrupted by you any more than it already is." She rolled back to her desk and went back to designing.

 _Elgyem_. He didn't telepath to me that time, but I had a feeling of what he said, so I gave a nod in agreement. This wasn't going to be a fun job, and I began to wonder why I had taken up the job in the first place. I couldn't remember, but something told me it was kind of pointless now.


End file.
